guix.texi

@example
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
@end example

@node Proceeding with the Installation
@subsection Proceeding with the Installation

With the target partitions ready and the target root mounted on
@file{/mnt}, we're ready to go.  First, run:

@example
herd start cow-store /mnt
@end example

This makes @file{/gnu/store} copy-on-write, such that packages added to
it during the installation phase are written to the target disk rather
than kept in memory.

Next, you have to edit a file and
provide the declaration of the operating system to be installed.  To
that end, the installation system comes with two text editors: GNU nano
(@pxref{Top,,, nano, GNU nano Manual}), and GNU Zile, an Emacs clone.
It is better to store that file on the target root file system, say, as
@file{/mnt/etc/config.scm}.

@xref{Using the Configuration System}, for an overview of the
configuration file.  The example configurations discussed in that
section are available under @file{/etc/configuration} in the
installation image.  Thus, to get started with a system configuration
providing a graphical display server (a ``desktop'' system), you can run
something along these lines:

@example
# mkdir /mnt/etc
# cp /etc/configuration/desktop.scm /mnt/etc/config.scm
# zile /mnt/etc/config.scm
@end example

You should pay attention to what your configuration file contains, and
in particular:

@itemize
@item
Make sure the @code{grub-configuration} form refers to the device you
want to install GRUB on.

@item
Be sure that your partition labels match the value of their respective
@code{device} fields in your @code{file-system} configuration, assuming
your @code{file-system} configuration sets the value of @code{title} to
@code{'label}.
@end itemize

Once you are done preparing the configuration file, the new system must
be initialized (remember that the target root file system is mounted
under @file{/mnt}):

@example
guix system init /mnt/etc/config.scm /mnt
@end example

@noindent
This copies all the necessary files and installs GRUB on
@file{/dev/sdX}, unless you pass the @option{--no-grub} option.  For
more information, @pxref{Invoking guix system}.  This command may trigger
downloads or builds of missing packages, which can take some time.

Once that command has completed---and hopefully succeeded!---you can run
@command{reboot} and boot into the new system.  The @code{root} password
in the new system is initially empty; other users' passwords need to be
initialized by running the @command{passwd} command as @code{root},
unless your configuration specifies otherwise
(@pxref{user-account-password, user account passwords}).

Join us on @code{#guix} on the Freenode IRC network or on
@file{guix-devel@@gnu.org} to share your experience---good or not so
good.

@node Building the Installation Image
@subsection Building the Installation Image

The installation image described above was built using the @command{guix
system} command, specifically:

@c FIXME: 1G is too much; see <http://bugs.gnu.org/23077>.
@example
guix system disk-image --image-size=1G gnu/system/install.scm
@end example

Have a look at @file{gnu/system/install.scm} in the source tree,
and see also @ref{Invoking guix system} for more information
about the installation image.

@node System Configuration
@section System Configuration

@cindex system configuration
The Guix System Distribution supports a consistent whole-system configuration
mechanism.  By that we mean that all aspects of the global system
configuration---such as the available system services, timezone and
locale settings, user accounts---are declared in a single place.  Such
a @dfn{system configuration} can be @dfn{instantiated}---i.e., effected.

One of the advantages of putting all the system configuration under the
control of Guix is that it supports transactional system upgrades, and
makes it possible to roll back to a previous system instantiation,
should something go wrong with the new one (@pxref{Features}).  Another
advantage is that it makes it easy to replicate the exact same configuration
across different machines, or at different points in time, without
having to resort to additional administration tools layered on top of
the own tools of the system.
@c Yes, we're talking of Puppet, Chef, & co. here.  ↑

This section describes this mechanism.  First we focus on the system
administrator's viewpoint---explaining how the system is configured and
instantiated.  Then we show how this mechanism can be extended, for
instance to support new system services.

@menu
* Using the Configuration System::  Customizing your GNU system.
* operating-system Reference::  Detail of operating-system declarations.
* File Systems::                Configuring file system mounts.
* Mapped Devices::              Block device extra processing.
* User Accounts::               Specifying user accounts.
* Locales::                     Language and cultural convention settings.
* Services::                    Specifying system services.
* Setuid Programs::             Programs running with root privileges.
* X.509 Certificates::          Authenticating HTTPS servers.
* Name Service Switch::         Configuring libc's name service switch.
* Initial RAM Disk::            Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
* GRUB Configuration::          Configuring the boot loader.
* Invoking guix system::        Instantiating a system configuration.
* Running GuixSD in a VM::      How to run GuixSD in a virtual machine.
* Defining Services::           Adding new service definitions.
@end menu

@node Using the Configuration System
@subsection Using the Configuration System

The operating system is configured by providing an
@code{operating-system} declaration in a file that can then be passed to
the @command{guix system} command (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).  A
simple setup, with the default system services, the default Linux-Libre
kernel, initial RAM disk, and boot loader looks like this:

@findex operating-system
@lisp
@include os-config-bare-bones.texi
@end lisp

This example should be self-describing.  Some of the fields defined
above, such as @code{host-name} and @code{bootloader}, are mandatory.
Others, such as @code{packages} and @code{services}, can be omitted, in
which case they get a default value.

Below we discuss the effect of some of the most important fields
(@pxref{operating-system Reference}, for details about all the available
fields), and how to @dfn{instantiate} the operating system using
@command{guix system}.

@unnumberedsubsubsec Globally-Visible Packages

@vindex %base-packages
The @code{packages} field lists packages that will be globally visible
on the system, for all user accounts---i.e., in every user's @code{PATH}
environment variable---in addition to the per-user profiles
(@pxref{Invoking guix package}).  The @var{%base-packages} variable
provides all the tools one would expect for basic user and administrator
tasks---including the GNU Core Utilities, the GNU Networking Utilities,
the GNU Zile lightweight text editor, @command{find}, @command{grep},
etc.  The example above adds tcpdump to those, taken from the @code{(gnu
packages admin)} module (@pxref{Package Modules}).

@findex specification->package
Referring to packages by variable name, like @var{tcpdump} above, has
the advantage of being unambiguous; it also allows typos and such to be
diagnosed right away as ``unbound variables''.  The downside is that one
needs to know which module defines which package, and to augment the
@code{use-package-modules} line accordingly.  To avoid that, one can use
the @code{specification->package} procedure of the @code{(gnu packages)}
module, which returns the best package for a given name or name and
version:

@lisp
(use-modules (gnu packages))

(operating-system
  ;; ...
  (packages (append (map specification->package
                         '("tcpdump" "htop" "gnupg-2.0"))
                    %base-packages)))
@end lisp

@unnumberedsubsubsec System Services

@vindex %base-services
The @code{services} field lists @dfn{system services} to be made
available when the system starts (@pxref{Services}).
The @code{operating-system} declaration above specifies that, in
addition to the basic services, we want the @command{lshd} secure shell
daemon listening on port 2222 (@pxref{Networking Services,
@code{lsh-service}}).  Under the hood,
@code{lsh-service} arranges so that @code{lshd} is started with the
right command-line options, possibly with supporting configuration files
generated as needed (@pxref{Defining Services}).

@cindex customization, of services
@findex modify-services
Occasionally, instead of using the base services as is, you will want to
customize them.  To do this, use @code{modify-services} (@pxref{Service
Reference, @code{modify-services}}) to modify the list.

For example, suppose you want to modify @code{guix-daemon} and Mingetty
(the console log-in) in the @var{%base-services} list (@pxref{Base
Services, @code{%base-services}}).  To do that, you can write the
following in your operating system declaration:

@lisp
(define %my-services
  ;; My very own list of services.
  (modify-services %base-services
    (guix-service-type config =>
                       (guix-configuration
                        (inherit config)
                        (use-substitutes? #f)
                        (extra-options '("--gc-keep-derivations"))))
    (mingetty-service-type config =>
                           (mingetty-configuration
                            (inherit config)
                            (motd (plain-file "motd" "Howdy!"))))))

(operating-system
  ;; @dots{}
  (services %my-services))
@end lisp

This changes the configuration---i.e., the service parameters---of the
@code{guix-service-type} instance, and that of all the
@code{mingetty-service-type} instances in the @var{%base-services} list.
Observe how this is accomplished: first, we arrange for the original
configuration to be bound to the identifier @code{config} in the
@var{body}, and then we write the @var{body} so that it evaluates to the
desired configuration.  In particular, notice how we use @code{inherit}
to create a new configuration which has the same values as the old
configuration, but with a few modifications.

The configuration for a typical ``desktop'' usage, with the X11 display
server, GNOME and Xfce (users can choose which of these desktop
environments to use at the log-in screen by pressing @kbd{F1}), network
management, power management, and more, would look like this:

@lisp
@include os-config-desktop.texi
@end lisp

A graphical environment with a choice of lightweight window managers
instead of full-blown desktop environments would look like this:

@lisp
@include os-config-lightweight-desktop.texi
@end lisp

@xref{Desktop Services}, for the exact list of services provided by
@var{%desktop-services}.  @xref{X.509 Certificates}, for background
information about the @code{nss-certs} package that is used here.

Again, @var{%desktop-services} is just a list of service objects.  If
you want to remove services from there, you can do so using the
procedures for list filtering (@pxref{SRFI-1 Filtering and
Partitioning,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}).  For instance, the
following expression returns a list that contains all the services in
@var{%desktop-services} minus the Avahi service:

@example
(remove (lambda (service)
          (eq? (service-kind service) avahi-service-type))
        %desktop-services)
@end example

@unnumberedsubsubsec Instantiating the System

Assuming the @code{operating-system} declaration
is stored in the @file{my-system-config.scm}
file, the @command{guix system reconfigure my-system-config.scm} command
instantiates that configuration, and makes it the default GRUB boot
entry (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).

The normal way to change the system configuration is by updating this
file and re-running @command{guix system reconfigure}.  One should never
have to touch files in @command{/etc} or to run commands that modify the
system state such as @command{useradd} or @command{grub-install}.  In
fact, you must avoid that since that would not only void your warranty
but also prevent you from rolling back to previous versions of your
system, should you ever need to.

@cindex roll-back, of the operating system
Speaking of roll-back, each time you run @command{guix system
reconfigure}, a new @dfn{generation} of the system is created---without
modifying or deleting previous generations.  Old system generations get
an entry in the GRUB boot menu, allowing you to boot them in case
something went wrong with the latest generation.  Reassuring, no?  The
@command{guix system list-generations} command lists the system
generations available on disk.

@unnumberedsubsubsec The Programming Interface

At the Scheme level, the bulk of an @code{operating-system} declaration
is instantiated with the following monadic procedure (@pxref{The Store
Monad}):

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} operating-system-derivation os
Return a derivation that builds @var{os}, an @code{operating-system}
object (@pxref{Derivations}).

The output of the derivation is a single directory that refers to all
the packages, configuration files, and other supporting files needed to
instantiate @var{os}.
@end deffn

This procedure is provided by the @code{(gnu system)} module.  Along
with @code{(gnu services)} (@pxref{Services}), this module contains the
guts of GuixSD.  Make sure to visit it!


@node operating-system Reference
@subsection @code{operating-system} Reference

This section summarizes all the options available in
@code{operating-system} declarations (@pxref{Using the Configuration
System}).

@deftp {Data Type} operating-system
This is the data type representing an operating system configuration.
By that, we mean all the global system configuration, not per-user
configuration (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).

@table @asis
@item @code{kernel} (default: @var{linux-libre})
The package object of the operating system kernel to use@footnote{Currently
only the Linux-libre kernel is supported.  In the future, it will be
possible to use the GNU@tie{}Hurd.}.

@item @code{kernel-arguments} (default: @code{'()})
List of strings or gexps representing additional arguments to pass on
the command-line of the kernel---e.g., @code{("console=ttyS0")}.

@item @code{bootloader}
The system bootloader configuration object.  @xref{GRUB Configuration}.

@item @code{initrd} (default: @code{base-initrd})
A two-argument monadic procedure that returns an initial RAM disk for
the Linux kernel.  @xref{Initial RAM Disk}.

@item @code{firmware} (default: @var{%base-firmware})
@cindex firmware
List of firmware packages loadable by the operating system kernel.

The default includes firmware needed for Atheros-based WiFi devices
(Linux-libre module @code{ath9k}).  @xref{Hardware Considerations}, for
more info on supported hardware.

@item @code{host-name}
The host name.

@item @code{hosts-file}
@cindex hosts file
A file-like object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}) for use as
@file{/etc/hosts} (@pxref{Host Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library
Reference Manual}).  The default is a file with entries for
@code{localhost} and @var{host-name}.

@item @code{mapped-devices} (default: @code{'()})
A list of mapped devices.  @xref{Mapped Devices}.

@item @code{file-systems}
A list of file systems.  @xref{File Systems}.

@item @code{swap-devices} (default: @code{'()})
@cindex swap devices
A list of strings identifying devices to be used for ``swap space''
(@pxref{Memory Concepts,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
For example, @code{'("/dev/sda3")}.

@item @code{users} (default: @code{%base-user-accounts})
@itemx @code{groups} (default: @var{%base-groups})
List of user accounts and groups.  @xref{User Accounts}.

@item @code{skeletons} (default: @code{(default-skeletons)})
A monadic list of pairs of target file name and files.  These are the
files that will be used as skeletons as new accounts are created.

For instance, a valid value may look like this:

@example
(mlet %store-monad ((bashrc (text-file "bashrc" "\
     export PATH=$HOME/.guix-profile/bin")))
  (return `((".bashrc" ,bashrc))))
@end example

@item @code{issue} (default: @var{%default-issue})
A string denoting the contents of the @file{/etc/issue} file, which is
displayed when users log in on a text console.

@item @code{packages} (default: @var{%base-packages})
The set of packages installed in the global profile, which is accessible
at @file{/run/current-system/profile}.

The default set includes core utilities and it is good practice to
install non-core utilities in user profiles (@pxref{Invoking guix
package}).

@item @code{timezone}
A timezone identifying string---e.g., @code{"Europe/Paris"}.

You can run the @command{tzselect} command to find out which timezone
string corresponds to your region.  Choosing an invalid timezone name
causes @command{guix system} to fail.

@item @code{locale} (default: @code{"en_US.utf8"})
The name of the default locale (@pxref{Locale Names,,, libc, The GNU C
Library Reference Manual}).  @xref{Locales}, for more information.

@item @code{locale-definitions} (default: @var{%default-locale-definitions})
The list of locale definitions to be compiled and that may be used at
run time.  @xref{Locales}.

@item @code{locale-libcs} (default: @code{(list @var{glibc})})
The list of GNU@tie{}libc packages whose locale data and tools are used
to build the locale definitions.  @xref{Locales}, for compatibility
considerations that justify this option.

@item @code{name-service-switch} (default: @var{%default-nss})
Configuration of the libc name service switch (NSS)---a
@code{<name-service-switch>} object.  @xref{Name Service Switch}, for
details.

@item @code{services} (default: @var{%base-services})
A list of service objects denoting system services.  @xref{Services}.

@item @code{pam-services} (default: @code{(base-pam-services)})
@cindex PAM
@cindex pluggable authentication modules
Linux @dfn{pluggable authentication module} (PAM) services.
@c FIXME: Add xref to PAM services section.

@item @code{setuid-programs} (default: @var{%setuid-programs})
List of string-valued G-expressions denoting setuid programs.
@xref{Setuid Programs}.

@item @code{sudoers-file} (default: @var{%sudoers-specification})
@cindex sudoers file
The contents of the @file{/etc/sudoers} file as a file-like object
(@pxref{G-Expressions, @code{local-file} and @code{plain-file}}).

This file specifies which users can use the @command{sudo} command, what
they are allowed to do, and what privileges they may gain.  The default
is that only @code{root} and members of the @code{wheel} group may use
@code{sudo}.

@end table
@end deftp

@node File Systems
@subsection File Systems

The list of file systems to be mounted is specified in the
@code{file-systems} field of the operating system declaration
(@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).  Each file system is declared
using the @code{file-system} form, like this:

@example
(file-system
  (mount-point "/home")
  (device "/dev/sda3")
  (type "ext4"))
@end example

As usual, some of the fields are mandatory---those shown in the example
above---while others can be omitted.  These are described below.

@deftp {Data Type} file-system
Objects of this type represent file systems to be mounted.  They
contain the following members:

@table @asis
@item @code{type}
This is a string specifying the type of the file system---e.g.,
@code{"ext4"}.

@item @code{mount-point}
This designates the place where the file system is to be mounted.

@item @code{device}
This names the ``source'' of the file system.  By default it is the name
of a node under @file{/dev}, but its meaning depends on the @code{title}
field described below.

@item @code{title} (default: @code{'device})
This is a symbol that specifies how the @code{device} field is to be
interpreted.

When it is the symbol @code{device}, then the @code{device} field is
interpreted as a file name; when it is @code{label}, then @code{device}
is interpreted as a partition label name; when it is @code{uuid},
@code{device} is interpreted as a partition unique identifier (UUID).

UUIDs may be converted from their string representation (as shown by the
@command{tune2fs -l} command) using the @code{uuid} form@footnote{The
@code{uuid} form expects 16-byte UUIDs as defined in
@uref{https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4122, RFC@tie{}4122}.  This is the
form of UUID used by the ext2 family of file systems and others, but it
is different from ``UUIDs'' found in FAT file systems, for instance.},
like this:

@example
(file-system
  (mount-point "/home")
  (type "ext4")
  (title 'uuid)
  (device (uuid "4dab5feb-d176-45de-b287-9b0a6e4c01cb")))
@end example

The @code{label} and @code{uuid} options offer a way to refer to disk
partitions without having to hard-code their actual device
name@footnote{Note that, while it is tempting to use
@file{/dev/disk/by-uuid} and similar device names to achieve the same
result, this is not recommended: These special device nodes are created
by the udev daemon and may be unavailable at the time the device is
mounted.}.

However, when the source of a file system is a mapped device (@pxref{Mapped
Devices}), its @code{device} field @emph{must} refer to the mapped
device name---e.g., @file{/dev/mapper/root-partition}---and consequently
@code{title} must be set to @code{'device}.  This is required so that
the system knows that mounting the file system depends on having the
corresponding device mapping established.

@item @code{flags} (default: @code{'()})
This is a list of symbols denoting mount flags.  Recognized flags
include @code{read-only}, @code{bind-mount}, @code{no-dev} (disallow
access to special files), @code{no-suid} (ignore setuid and setgid
bits), and @code{no-exec} (disallow program execution.)

@item @code{options} (default: @code{#f})
This is either @code{#f}, or a string denoting mount options.

@item @code{mount?} (default: @code{#t})
This value indicates whether to automatically mount the file system when
the system is brought up.  When set to @code{#f}, the file system gets
an entry in @file{/etc/fstab} (read by the @command{mount} command) but
is not automatically mounted.

@item @code{needed-for-boot?} (default: @code{#f})
This Boolean value indicates whether the file system is needed when
booting.  If that is true, then the file system is mounted when the
initial RAM disk (initrd) is loaded.  This is always the case, for
instance, for the root file system.

@item @code{check?} (default: @code{#t})
This Boolean indicates whether the file system needs to be checked for
errors before being mounted.

@item @code{create-mount-point?} (default: @code{#f})
When true, the mount point is created if it does not exist yet.

@item @code{dependencies} (default: @code{'()})
This is a list of @code{<file-system>} objects representing file systems
that must be mounted before (and unmounted after) this one.

As an example, consider a hierarchy of mounts: @file{/sys/fs/cgroup} is
a dependency of @file{/sys/fs/cgroup/cpu} and
@file{/sys/fs/cgroup/memory}.

@end table
@end deftp

The @code{(gnu system file-systems)} exports the following useful
variables.

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-file-systems
These are essential file systems that are required on normal systems,
such as @var{%pseudo-terminal-file-system} and @var{%immutable-store} (see
below.)  Operating system declarations should always contain at least
these.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %pseudo-terminal-file-system
This is the file system to be mounted as @file{/dev/pts}.  It supports
@dfn{pseudo-terminals} created @i{via} @code{openpty} and similar
functions (@pxref{Pseudo-Terminals,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
Manual}).  Pseudo-terminals are used by terminal emulators such as
@command{xterm}.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %shared-memory-file-system
This file system is mounted as @file{/dev/shm} and is used to support
memory sharing across processes (@pxref{Memory-mapped I/O,
@code{shm_open},, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %immutable-store
This file system performs a read-only ``bind mount'' of
@file{/gnu/store}, making it read-only for all the users including
@code{root}.  This prevents against accidental modification by software
running as @code{root} or by system administrators.

The daemon itself is still able to write to the store: it remounts it
read-write in its own ``name space.''
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %binary-format-file-system
The @code{binfmt_misc} file system, which allows handling of arbitrary
executable file types to be delegated to user space.  This requires the
@code{binfmt.ko} kernel module to be loaded.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %fuse-control-file-system
The @code{fusectl} file system, which allows unprivileged users to mount
and unmount user-space FUSE file systems.  This requires the
@code{fuse.ko} kernel module to be loaded.
@end defvr

@node Mapped Devices
@subsection Mapped Devices

@cindex device mapping
@cindex mapped devices
The Linux kernel has a notion of @dfn{device mapping}: a block device,
such as a hard disk partition, can be @dfn{mapped} into another device,
with additional processing over the data that flows through
it@footnote{Note that the GNU@tie{}Hurd makes no difference between the
concept of a ``mapped device'' and that of a file system: both boil down
to @emph{translating} input/output operations made on a file to
operations on its backing store.  Thus, the Hurd implements mapped
devices, like file systems, using the generic @dfn{translator} mechanism
(@pxref{Translators,,, hurd, The GNU Hurd Reference Manual}).}.  A
typical example is encryption device mapping: all writes to the mapped
device are encrypted, and all reads are deciphered, transparently.

Mapped devices are declared using the @code{mapped-device} form:

@example
(mapped-device
  (source "/dev/sda3")
  (target "home")
  (type luks-device-mapping))
@end example

@noindent
@cindex disk encryption
@cindex LUKS
This example specifies a mapping from @file{/dev/sda3} to
@file{/dev/mapper/home} using LUKS---the
@url{http://code.google.com/p/cryptsetup,Linux Unified Key Setup}, a
standard mechanism for disk encryption.  The @file{/dev/mapper/home}
device can then be used as the @code{device} of a @code{file-system}
declaration (@pxref{File Systems}).  The @code{mapped-device} form is
detailed below.

@deftp {Data Type} mapped-device
Objects of this type represent device mappings that will be made when
the system boots up.

@table @code
@item source
This string specifies the name of the block device to be mapped, such as
@code{"/dev/sda3"}.

@item target
This string specifies the name of the mapping to be established.  For
example, specifying @code{"my-partition"} will lead to the creation of
the @code{"/dev/mapper/my-partition"} device.

@item type
This must be a @code{mapped-device-kind} object, which specifies how
@var{source} is mapped to @var{target}.
@end table
@end deftp

@defvr {Scheme Variable} luks-device-mapping
This defines LUKS block device encryption using the @command{cryptsetup}
command from the package with the same name.  It relies on the
@code{dm-crypt} Linux kernel module.
@end defvr

@node User Accounts
@subsection User Accounts

User accounts and groups are entirely managed through the
@code{operating-system} declaration.  They are specified with the
@code{user-account} and @code{user-group} forms:

@example
(user-account
  (name "alice")
  (group "users")
  (supplementary-groups '("wheel"   ;allow use of sudo, etc.
                          "audio"   ;sound card
                          "video"   ;video devices such as webcams
                          "cdrom")) ;the good ol' CD-ROM
  (comment "Bob's sister")
  (home-directory "/home/alice"))
@end example

When booting or upon completion of @command{guix system reconfigure},
the system ensures that only the user accounts and groups specified in
the @code{operating-system} declaration exist, and with the specified
properties.  Thus, account or group creations or modifications made by
directly invoking commands such as @command{useradd} are lost upon
reconfiguration or reboot.  This ensures that the system remains exactly
as declared.

@deftp {Data Type} user-account
Objects of this type represent user accounts.  The following members may
be specified:

@table @asis
@item @code{name}
The name of the user account.

@item @code{group}
This is the name (a string) or identifier (a number) of the user group
this account belongs to.

@item @code{supplementary-groups} (default: @code{'()})
Optionally, this can be defined as a list of group names that this
account belongs to.

@item @code{uid} (default: @code{#f})
This is the user ID for this account (a number), or @code{#f}.  In the
latter case, a number is automatically chosen by the system when the
account is created.

@item @code{comment} (default: @code{""})
A comment about the account, such as the account owner's full name.

@item @code{home-directory}
This is the name of the home directory for the account.

@item @code{shell} (default: Bash)
This is a G-expression denoting the file name of a program to be used as
the shell (@pxref{G-Expressions}).

@item @code{system?} (default: @code{#f})
This Boolean value indicates whether the account is a ``system''
account.  System accounts are sometimes treated specially; for instance,
graphical login managers do not list them.

@anchor{user-account-password}
@item @code{password} (default: @code{#f})
You would normally leave this field to @code{#f}, initialize user
passwords as @code{root} with the @command{passwd} command, and then let
users change it with @command{passwd}.  Passwords set with
@command{passwd} are of course preserved across reboot and
reconfiguration.

If you @emph{do} want to have a preset password for an account, then
this field must contain the encrypted password, as a string.
@xref{crypt,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}, for more information
on password encryption, and @ref{Encryption,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference
Manual}, for information on Guile's @code{crypt} procedure.

@end table
@end deftp

User group declarations are even simpler:

@example
(user-group (name "students"))
@end example

@deftp {Data Type} user-group
This type is for, well, user groups.  There are just a few fields:

@table @asis
@item @code{name}
The name of the group.

@item @code{id} (default: @code{#f})
The group identifier (a number).  If @code{#f}, a new number is
automatically allocated when the group is created.

@item @code{system?} (default: @code{#f})
This Boolean value indicates whether the group is a ``system'' group.
System groups have low numerical IDs.

@item @code{password} (default: @code{#f})
What, user groups can have a password?  Well, apparently yes.  Unless
@code{#f}, this field specifies the password of the group.

@end table
@end deftp

For convenience, a variable lists all the basic user groups one may
expect:

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-groups
This is the list of basic user groups that users and/or packages expect
to be present on the system.  This includes groups such as ``root'',
``wheel'', and ``users'', as well as groups used to control access to
specific devices such as ``audio'', ``disk'', and ``cdrom''.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-user-accounts
This is the list of basic system accounts that programs may expect to
find on a GNU/Linux system, such as the ``nobody'' account.

Note that the ``root'' account is not included here.  It is a
special-case and is automatically added whether or not it is specified.
@end defvr

@node Locales
@subsection Locales

@cindex locale
A @dfn{locale} defines cultural conventions for a particular language
and region of the world (@pxref{Locales,,, libc, The GNU C Library
Reference Manual}).  Each locale has a name that typically has the form
@code{@var{language}_@var{territory}.@var{codeset}}---e.g.,
@code{fr_LU.utf8} designates the locale for the French language, with
cultural conventions from Luxembourg, and using the UTF-8 encoding.

@cindex locale definition
Usually, you will want to specify the default locale for the machine
using the @code{locale} field of the @code{operating-system} declaration
(@pxref{operating-system Reference, @code{locale}}).

The selected locale is automatically added to the @dfn{locale
definitions} known to the system if needed, with its codeset inferred
from its name---e.g., @code{bo_CN.utf8} will be assumed to use the
@code{UTF-8} codeset.  Additional locale definitions can be specified in
the @code{locale-definitions} slot of @code{operating-system}---this is
useful, for instance, if the codeset could not be inferred from the
locale name.  The default set of locale definitions includes some widely
used locales, but not all the available locales, in order to save space.

For instance, to add the North Frisian locale for Germany, the value of
that field may be:

@example
(cons (locale-definition
        (name "fy_DE.utf8") (source "fy_DE"))
      %default-locale-definitions)
@end example

Likewise, to save space, one might want @code{locale-definitions} to
list only the locales that are actually used, as in:

@example
(list (locale-definition
        (name "ja_JP.eucjp") (source "ja_JP")
        (charset "EUC-JP")))
@end example

@vindex LOCPATH
The compiled locale definitions are available at
@file{/run/current-system/locale/X.Y}, where @code{X.Y} is the libc
version, which is the default location where the GNU@tie{}libc provided
by Guix looks for locale data.  This can be overridden using the
@code{LOCPATH} environment variable (@pxref{locales-and-locpath,
@code{LOCPATH} and locale packages}).

The @code{locale-definition} form is provided by the @code{(gnu system
locale)} module.  Details are given below.

@deftp {Data Type} locale-definition
This is the data type of a locale definition.

@table @asis

@item @code{name}
The name of the locale.  @xref{Locale Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library
Reference Manual}, for more information on locale names.

@item @code{source}
The name of the source for that locale.  This is typically the
@code{@var{language}_@var{territory}} part of the locale name.

@item @code{charset} (default: @code{"UTF-8"})
The ``character set'' or ``code set'' for that locale,
@uref{http://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets, as defined by
IANA}.

@end table
@end deftp

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-locale-definitions
A list of commonly used UTF-8 locales, used as the default
value of the @code{locale-definitions} field of @code{operating-system}
declarations.

@cindex locale name
@cindex normalized codeset in locale names
These locale definitions use the @dfn{normalized codeset} for the part
that follows the dot in the name (@pxref{Using gettextized software,
normalized codeset,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).  So for
instance it has @code{uk_UA.utf8} but @emph{not}, say,
@code{uk_UA.UTF-8}.
@end defvr

@subsubsection Locale Data Compatibility Considerations

@cindex incompatibility, of locale data
@code{operating-system} declarations provide a @code{locale-libcs} field
to specify the GNU@tie{}libc packages that are used to compile locale
declarations (@pxref{operating-system Reference}).  ``Why would I
care?'', you may ask.  Well, it turns out that the binary format of
locale data is occasionally incompatible from one libc version to
another.

@c See <https://sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2015-09/msg00575.html>
@c and <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2015-08/msg00737.html>.
For instance, a program linked against libc version 2.21 is unable to
read locale data produced with libc 2.22; worse, that program
@emph{aborts} instead of simply ignoring the incompatible locale
data@footnote{Versions 2.23 and later of GNU@tie{}libc will simply skip
the incompatible locale data, which is already an improvement.}.
Similarly, a program linked against libc 2.22 can read most, but not
all, the locale data from libc 2.21 (specifically, @code{LC_COLLATE}
data is incompatible); thus calls to @code{setlocale} may fail, but
programs will not abort.

The ``problem'' in GuixSD is that users have a lot of freedom: They can
choose whether and when to upgrade software in their profiles, and might
be using a libc version different from the one the system administrator
used to build the system-wide locale data.

Fortunately, unprivileged users can also install their own locale data
and define @var{GUIX_LOCPATH} accordingly (@pxref{locales-and-locpath,
@code{GUIX_LOCPATH} and locale packages}).

Still, it is best if the system-wide locale data at
@file{/run/current-system/locale} is built for all the libc versions
actually in use on the system, so that all the programs can access
it---this is especially crucial on a multi-user system.  To do that, the
administrator can specify several libc packages in the
@code{locale-libcs} field of @code{operating-system}:

@example
(use-package-modules base)

(operating-system
  ;; @dots{}
  (locale-libcs (list glibc-2.21 (canonical-package glibc))))
@end example

This example would lead to a system containing locale definitions for
both libc 2.21 and the current version of libc in
@file{/run/current-system/locale}.


@node Services
@subsection Services

@cindex system services
An important part of preparing an @code{operating-system} declaration is
listing @dfn{system services} and their configuration (@pxref{Using the
Configuration System}).  System services are typically daemons launched
when the system boots, or other actions needed at that time---e.g.,
configuring network access.

Services are managed by the GNU@tie{}Shepherd (@pxref{Introduction,,,
shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).  On a running system, the
@command{herd} command allows you to list the available services, show
their status, start and stop them, or do other specific operations
(@pxref{Jump Start,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).  For example:

@example
# herd status
@end example

The above command, run as @code{root}, lists the currently defined
services.  The @command{herd doc} command shows a synopsis of the given
service:

@example
# herd doc nscd
Run libc's name service cache daemon (nscd).
@end example

The @command{start}, @command{stop}, and @command{restart} sub-commands
have the effect you would expect.  For instance, the commands below stop
the nscd service and restart the Xorg display server:

@example
# herd stop nscd
Service nscd has been stopped.
# herd restart xorg-server
Service xorg-server has been stopped.
Service xorg-server has been started.
@end example

The following sections document the available services, starting with
the core services, that may be used in an @code{operating-system}
declaration.

@menu
* Base Services::               Essential system services.
* Networking Services::         Network setup, SSH daemon, etc.
* X Window::                    Graphical display.